Generational Dynamics World View

[Bob Butler 54]

(12-13-2020, 12:11 PM)John J. Xenakis Wrote: The problem is that knowing what's coming is not a blessing.  It's a curse.  I know that it's been a curse to my life, and undoubtedly to many others.  As King Solomon said in Ecclesiastes, the more you know the more miserable you'll be.  I agree.

1:12 I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

1:13 And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.

1:14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

1:15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.

1:16 I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.

1:17 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.

1:18 For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.

I’d agree that the Agricultural Age was a mess.  Solomon had it right in his view of the time.  Tribal thinking was common.  Those who had much tried to use violence to get more.  It was cost effective, at least for the winners.  Groups of people hated one another, commonly fell victim to xenophobia.  If your view of life is that tribal thinking is inevitable and forever, as it once was, you get depressed.  I see Solomen as a WEIRD guy, a reader, way ahead of his time.  Surrounded by tribal thinkers, no wonder he got depressed. 

You don’t have to have a worldview so depressing.  Well, maybe you do.  People don’t change their view of the world unless it fails them totally.  It is easier to disregard reality than to change your perspective.  Pointing out the your own descriptions of how your world view has failed you doesn’t do any good.  You cling to your perspective all the harder.

I just have to say the roundhead / enlightenment / WEIRD / blue perspective has not resulted in the same depression and failure.  Real wisdom doesn't come with the depression you describe.  It is just that you are stuck with Generational Dynamics, with tribal thinking.

(Aside:  I do remember a Doonsbury cartoon.  At the time, Duke was governor of a far Pacific culture.  He had to judge between two women, each claiming custody of a baby.  His number two suggested there was a president.  Duke agreed.  Just cut the baby in half.  The response of the two women?  "Sounds fair."  "Are you crazy?")